Man threatened his ex with a knife during a row

A man threatened his former partner with a knife after he visited her home and an argument erupted over a computer tablet.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Thursday, June 15, how Rory Thomas Moylan, 48, of Queen’s Road, Fairfield, Buxton, damaged a door and threatened his ex at her home at Sherwood Road, Buxton.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “He turned up asking for books at her address and she went to get them and he followed her and made comments about her not lending him a tablet to use and she threw his books on the floor.

“She went downstairs and found the defendant laid on the sofa and she repeatedly shouted at him to get out.

“He got angry and started to snarl and she said I am not scared.”

Mrs Allsop added that Moylan went into the kitchen and she heard a draw being opened and Moylan smashed through a door at the bottom of the stairs and he had a knife.

Moylan held the knife about six inches from his ex’s face, according to Mrs Allsop, and he said, ‘I’m going to end you’.

The defendant pleaded guilty to damaging a door and pleaded guilty to assault on the basis that he had threatened the complainant with a knife on June 13.

Defence solicitor Kirsten Collins said the most substantial mitigation for Moylan is that he has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Magistrates sentenced Moylan to a community order to last until December 14, 2018, with a 16 week curfew with electronic monitoring and a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

They also imposed a 12 month restraining order on Moylan not to contact his former partner.

He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation, an £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.